“依法治国”表明了中国共产党作为执政党在执政方式和国家权力运作方式的重大转变。我国在1978年以前没有提出依法治国方略的原因是:高度集中的计划经济体制和高度集权的政治体制缺乏依法治国的社会需求和动力,长期以来形成了依靠党的政策办事的习惯定势,旧中国给人们留下的封建专制传统较多,民主法制观念淡薄。加强和改善党的领导以适应执政方式向依法治国的转变,应当从多方面着手.

"Reign of the const itution" marks a major change of the Chinese Communist Party in the mode of governing and operat ion of power. Reasons for not resort ing to reig n of the constitution before 1978 are as follow s: hig hly cent ralized planned economy and highly cent ralized state power led to absence of the needs for or mot ivation to establish reign of the const itut ion. the practice of abiding by the policy of the Party for too long a time has made it a nat ional custom. The old China has lef t too many feudal dictatorship conventions and few ideas of democracy or rule of the law.